Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Benoni Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa del Carmen and Benoni

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,271 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,104 in Benoni.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,126 in Playa del Carmen versus $1,621 in Benoni.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Playa del Carmen versus $2,139 in Benoni.

Living in Playa del Carmen is roughly 15% more expensive than Benoni, driven mainly by Eating Out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Playa del Carmen 5% lower, Benoni 18% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 MX$204

$8.19 R 132

44.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$42.90 MX$736

$34.00 R 550

26.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.65 MX$183

$4.90 R 79.2

117.35%

Cappuccino

$3.45 MX$59.2

$2.11 R 34.08

63.51%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 MX$25.81

$1.02 R 16.42

47.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.95 MX$16.28

$0.82 R 13.33

15.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.03 MX$51.9

$2.19 R 35.35

38.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MX$79.1

$2.46 R 39.82

87.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 MX$23.61

$1.14 R 18.48

21.05%

White Bread (500g)

$1.85 MX$31.70

$1.01 R 16.35

83.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.61 MX$27.65

$1.70 R 27.46

-5.29%

Eggs

$2.59 MX$44.51

$2.42 R 39.10

7.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.26 MX$142

$7.91 R 128

4.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.37 MX$144

$4.55 R 73.6

83.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.66 MX$183

$6.27 R 101

70.02%

Apples (1kg)

$2.63 MX$45.12

$1.62 R 26.12

62.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 MX$25.53

$1.54 R 24.86

-3.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.92 MX$32.94

$1.50 R 24.19

28.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.09 MX$35.81

$1.59 R 25.66

31.45%

Potato (1kg)

$1.86 MX$31.88

$1.30 R 21.04

43.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.26 MX$38.81

$1.21 R 19.49

86.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 MX$18.23

$1.05 R 16.99

0.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$18.67

$0.89 R 14.41

22.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.15 MX$71.2

$3.00 R 48.47

38.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.39 MX$178

$5.19 R 83.9

100.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 MX$29.59

$1.35 R 21.78

27.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 MX$44.85

$1.66 R 26.80

57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$9.30

$1.67 R 26.93

-67.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.94 MX$462

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.13 MX$53.7

$1.09 R 17.67

187.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.51 MX$43.09

$0.96 R 15.59

161.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 MX$54.1

$3.10 R 50.1

1.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 MX$21.88

$1.26 R 20.41

0.79%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.4K MX$521.3K

$22.2K R 359.2K

36.71%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.6K MX$404.5K

$24.3K R 392.4K

-2.92%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$83.0 MX$1,425

$126 R 2,031

-33.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$22.71 MX$390

$40.64 R 657

-44.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.46 MX$506

$43.48 R 703

-32.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.0 MX$875

$16.71 R 270

205.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.33 MX$315

Cinema Ticket

$4.93 MX$84.5

$7.11 R 115

-30.66%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$197 MX$3,386

$205 R 3,315

-3.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,280 MX$90.6K

$4,433 R 71.7K

19.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$36.90 MX$633

$50.6 R 817

-27.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.89 MX$685

$33.14 R 536

20.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.0 MX$1,373

$89.9 R 1,454

-11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$89.5 MX$1,536

$77.4 R 1,251

15.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$956 MX$16.4K

$367 R 5,928

160.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$477 MX$8,189

$431 R 6,966

10.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,646 MX$28.3K

$446 R 7,217

268.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,225 MX$21.0K

$711 R 11.5K

72.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,918 MX$67.2K

$963 R 15.6K

307.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,459 MX$110.9K

$705 R 11.4K

816.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$667 MX$11.4K

$2,060 R 33.3K

-67.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.42

11.51

-0.78%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Playa del Carmen: June 7, 2026

Last update for Benoni: June 8, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $956 in Playa del Carmen and $367 in Benoni. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Benoni pays 209% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $43.00 in Playa del Carmen vs $34.00 in Benoni for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $250 vs $176 per month, with Benoni cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Playa del Carmen vs Benoni: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Playa del Carmen and Benoni differ by about 15% in total monthly costs ($1,271 vs $1,104 including rent). Benoni is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, Benoni earns 209% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $956 in Playa del Carmen versus $367 in Benoni. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 42% higher in Playa del Carmen. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,271 per month in Playa del Carmen versus $1,104 in Benoni – a 15% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,104 in Benoni versus $1,271 in Playa del Carmen, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Benoni but tight or insufficient in Playa del Carmen. The gap between the two cities makes Benoni the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Playa del Carmen and Benoni are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Benoni gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Playa del Carmen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.